Our Man in Tokyo audiobook

In the past year or so I have read many fine books about World War II in the Pacific. Most have been written from the American point of view, some from the Japanese. Yet not one of them has done as fine a job as Steve Kemper in depicting how war came about and how an unsung hero, Joseph Grew, tried desperately to prevent it.Grew was a Boston Brahmin who did not fit the traditional mold. He trod the usual path at the time of prep school and then Harvard. However, once free to wander the world he roamed to areas few in his class were at all interested in seeing. On one memorable occasion he crawled into a hole to shoot a tiger just feet from him. When Teddy Roosevelt heard of this he appointed him a member of the diplomatic corps! In time Grew became a skilled diplomat and was appointed Ambassador to Japan. He kept up his life long habit of keeping a diary which forms the backbone of this book.Kemp skillfully weaves Grew's experiences into the story of how a relatively small number of mid-level officers, by dint of assasination and threat of assassination essentially hijacked an entire country and drove it into a needless and senseless war. The complex political and social structure of Japan at the time is carefully and skillfully laid out by Kemper. Japan's constitution was set up so that the Army and Navy were responsible to no one except the Emperor who's traditional role and powers were oblique and weak. This set up made possible the war in China, the invasion of southeast Asia, membership in the Axis and ultimately an oil embargo on US oil sales. Thus Japan and the United States, not understanding each other's true motives and intentions, both set off on roads to destruction on which neither thought they could reverse direction. It was in this setting that Grew, as a man and diplomat stood head and shoulders above all other players. He desperately tried to persuade Secretary Hull to reconsider the rigid requirements the US had set up as a prerequisite to talks. He likewise urged the Japanese to control their armed forces and to look beyond the requirements of "face"Grew's analysis, although ignored , proved prescient. We don't know whether his advice, if followed, would have changed the course of events. His advice was heeded in setting up post war Japan and we gained an ally and peace in that part of Asia.Grew is often seen in history, if at all, as the man delivering a telegraph from Roosevelt to the Emperor seeking further talks while Pearl Harbor was ablaze. He deserves much more than that and this well written, entertaining book delivers

Our Man in Tokyo by Steve Kemper This is most likely not a book for everyone, but it certainly is a book for me. Mr. Kemper uses the diaries of the US Ambassador Joseph C. Grew to detail the period of the 1930’s up to and including the start of WWII for America in the Pacific. Of course, we know when it started and how it ended but this book does an excellent job of describing in detail the delusional path taken by the Japanese Government to cause massive destruction and loss of life in Asia including their own homeland of Japan. There is extensive details of Ambassador Grew’s efforts to understand and then inform the State Department of Japan’s thinking as difficult as it is to separate truth from out right lies. The book also describes in my opinion the silly nature of embassy life of parties and drinking as what often seems the main justification for their existence. The same staff from the embassy community dress up and rotate nearly daily to the various embassies for festivities while around them the people are starving. Ambassador Grew was also a golfer and I thought it was amusing the Japanese had spies to watch what days he played as an indication of how mush at any time he was involved in difficult decision writing to the US State Department. This book along with Ian Buruma’s China Nights, a historical fiction book together gives an excellent look at the sacrifices made by the Japanese public as the war which started with China in 1931 took a toll on the day to day lives of the Japanese.If I felt there was one fault with the book it was the failure by omission to discuss did America know or not about the attack on Pearl Harbor prior to it occurring. The US had broken the codes and was intercepting messages between Tokyo and the Japanese Embassy in Washington. Although there are hints as discussed in this book no smoking gun message is described. I think it should have been mentioned more directly. To summarize, if you are interested in how the relationship between the US and Japan disintegrated resulting in the Pacific war this is a very good book to read.

An interesting book, very well researched. Also quite well written, and well thought out. "Our man in Tokyo - An American Ambassador and the Countdown to Pearl Harbor" is about Joseph C. Grew, the US Ambassador to the Imperial Japanese Court from 1932 until all the staff of the US Embassy were imprisoned by the Japanese after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941. From a patrician NE family, Harvard educated, and as connected as a man in his day could possibly be, he chose a life of gov't service in the Diplomatic Corps essentially as a route to travel & adventure out of college. And adventures he had! He rose through the ranks of gov't service until, in his mid 50's, he was selected for one of the toughest jobs in US Diplomatic Corps, as Ambassador to Japan, at a period when Japan was on a crash course with the USA due to it's militaristic, expansionistic policies of invading neighboring countries that were allies of the US, as well as forming an alliance with Nazi Germany & Fascist Italy (The Tri-Partite Alliance) essentially overtly aimed at world domination. And Grew's role was to keep the peace, and keep America out of the war. He knew his job was going to be tough when he accepted the position.Ever the eternal optimist, and against ever increasing odds, he engaged every diplomatic skill within reach to convince elements within the Japanese gov't that going to war with the West was a losing proposition for Japan, and his efforts often made a positive impact, but never quite enough. This story about what he was involved in, what he did, how he did it, and the thinking behind his efforts is fascinating reading for anyone interested in the art of International Diplomacy.It was well worth a read, and a book I can confidently recommend to a fair number of friends.

I have just finished reading this incredible book and I can't really say enough about it. It is an inside look at the US Ambassador to Japan's time there leading up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor.Like many Americans, I learned mostly about Germany and its role in World War II, especially Adolf Hitler. I never was taught anything about the Japanese and their machinations before and after Pearl Harbor. Mr. Kemper gives so much information about the people in power behind the attack and their motives I could not put the book down. If you are interested in learning more about the often overlooked Axis power, I encourage you to read this book. The only thing I believe would have made this even better would have been pictures of the men involved in this horrendous action.

This was such a delight to read, this was my first World War 2 book and I cant't say I'm disappointed. Through the use of diary entries from U.S. ambassador Joseph C. Grew, we get a more detailed glimpse into the Japanese government's path to cause mass destruction in Asia.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Mariner Books for an advance copy of this book focusing on the relations between Japan and the United States before the events at Pearl Harbor and the American Ambassador who tried to keep the peace.All great events have moments that lead up to them. A ripple of an assassination, another of a missed telegram, a change in policy, or in governments, and suddenly things are moving much to fast for anyone person, or people to control. As von Clausewitz said "War is the continuation of policy with other means.". Unfortunately this was the situation faced by American ambassador Joseph C. Grew, in Japan, whose warnings went ignored, or even worse just filed away. Writer and journalist Steve Kemper in Our Man In Tokyo:An American Ambassador and the Countdown to Pearl Harbor, looks at the life, times and tribulations of this man and the events in Japan that lead to that fateful day in Pearl Harbor, bringing both sides into a war, only a few people seemed to want. In 1932 Japan was beset by secret societies whose members included right-wing and fanatical members of the military who pledges fealty to the Emperor, but whose idea of war and returning Japan to glory ran counter to Japanese politics. These groups carried out a campaign of assassination against government officials, diplomats, and anyone who spoke out against the idea of war and the greatness that was Japan. Into this came a new ambassador, Joseph C. Grew, the scion of a notable Boston family, with a lot of grit, and a long history in the of representing the American government. Grew was a friendly person, who soon made the embassy popular among the Japanese government and other foreign representatives. This allowed Grew to gain quite a bit of insight and intelligence into what was going on in Japan, And the news was not good. However in passing on his thoughts, and intelligence most of his findings and opinions went into the void, and American intransigence was not making things easier. A fascinating book detailing a time in history that I didn't know that much about. I've read before about all the diplomatic attempts with Hitler, but knew little about the discussions done with Japan. And not surprisingly both sides seemed to have been at fault. The idea of face and shame was not something known by many Americans and for us to be such sticklers and immovable on so much, leaving Japan no way but to look weak, was a consideration. Also the fact that a small, but vocal group that seemed to hold sway over others, one that allowed them to commit assassinations, and yet not have to serve jail time was another. Grew is a fully fleshed out character, compelling, brave, and yet willing to learn and listen, unlike most people. The narrative moves well, the cast are all explained well, as well as world events that led to certain actions. A very different look at some of the origins for the problems between America and Japan. Recommended for World War II fans, and for those who enjoy biographies about people that history has seemed to have forgotten. History fans will have quite a lot to think about after reading this. A perfect gift for the holidays.

Using US Ambassador to Japan Grew's papers and diaries, Steve Kemper takes readers behind the scenes in the years leading up to Pearl Harbor. Grew's many years in the country and keen study of the culture and development of friendships among leaders gave him insight into the fractured state of politics in Japan during these years as some were greedy and eager to grab all the land they could in Asia while others wanted peace. Through Grew's years as ambassador readers watch the relationship between the US and Japan become more and more fractured, and why (mostly "accidental" bombing of US property and citizens in China, even of ships with giant US flags on them). And he did his best to advise US leaders how to approach peaceful negotiations in a way that would allow the Japanese to both save face AND change their position right up into the last 24 hour before war was declared. The way many US history books portray the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor makes it seem like the attack came out of nowhere, but this definitely makes it clear that US-Japan relations were tense for years before then and rumblings of a possibly attack came many, many months before December 1941. None of the history books mention how Japan's invasion of China and the war with Chiang Kai-shek's forces was such a huge part of leading up to Pearl Harbor, but this book makes that abundantly clear. It also shows how Japan's government was not unified, there were multiple factions, numerous assassinations and resignations of prime ministers and cabinets during the years leading up to 1941, and how some of the least clear thinking and most war-hungry ones were taking out or drowning out the voices for reason and peace. It was eye-opening to learn about the lack of communication between the US State Department with Ambassador Grew. As an expat, I admire how Ambassador Grew worked hard to understand the Japanese people and culture to be able to know how best to broker deals across cultures. (Having also read In the Garden of the Beasts about the US Ambassador to Germany at the time, it is also crazy to compare and contrast the two Ambassadors. One of them did the job well, the other...) One can't help but wonder how world history could have been different if the US State Department had listened to Grew's advice and insight. Anyway, this was a fascinating biography that fills in a lot of the gaps often left out in cursory overviews of WWII history.Notes on content: About 5 minor swears in quotes. No sex scenes. The book quickly mentions some of the horrors of the Rape of Nanking, but doesn't go into graphic detail at all. Several assassinations described in detail (the number of assassinations that happened of politicians, mostly Japanese politicians, during Grew's time in Japan is a bit astounding) as well as casualties of the Sino-Japanese war (Grew frequently took lists of Americans killed to the Japanese to protest, the list included some children that really hit him and others hard), and eventually WWII. Smoking and drinking as was common during that time period is mentioned.

This is the story of Joseph Clark Grew, who served as U.S. ambassador to Japan in the decade leading up to the attack of Pearl Harbor. Grew loved Japan and its people and never stopped trying to avert war between that country and the United States, even as ever-more militaristic factions seized control in Tokyo. I was surprised to learn of the favorable relationship between America and Japan in the years after World War I and before World War II. Many aspects of American culture were readily embraced by the Japanese, and we were Japan's primary trading partner. Forty percent of Japan's exports went to the U.S., and 30 percent of Japan's imports were from the U.S. I was also surprised at the many provocations against U.S. citizens and property in China, where Japan had been conducting a barbaric war of conquest for several years. The attacks, which included American deaths, might not elicit the same restraint from America today. The book also outlines the great divisions among Japanese politicians and how less militant leaders -- including prime ministers -- were frequently assassinated. Finally, there is the ambivalent role of Emperor Hirohito. Hirohito was viewed as divine by the Japanese people, yet he was a god who had to ask permission of his palace courtiers to do certain things. He was all powerful, yet sometimes powerless. Kemper depicts Hirohito as anti-war, for example, but yet he approved all of the military actions taken by Japan. In the end, the Japanese people heard the voice of the emperor for the first time during a radio broadcast. In his all-powerful role, Hirohito surrendered without using the word "surrender," and the war was over.

Growing up, history tends to drop Japan into World War II with the attack on Pearl Harbor. A more thorough history will mention the horrific actions in China, but otherwise, not much more ink is spilled on Japan in U.S. textbooks. Well, guess what? Turns out there is a lot more to the story!Luckily, Steve Kemper is here to write a book about Japan before Pearl Harbor. And even luckier, Ambassador Joseph Grew was the diplomat in Japan during the ramp up to war. Grew is not a name you hear often, but he is absolutely vital in telling this compelling story. Kemper clearly had a lot to work with due to Grew's diaries and documents which show a slow and disjointed march towards war. For me, a book needs two main things for it to be great. The story itself needs to be interesting and the author needs to tell it in a compelling way. Both are fully on display here. Japan was far from a country of bloodthirsty people hell bent on conquering the world. In fact, Kemper makes a hypothetical case that Pearl Harbor was far from a fait accompli. Kemper is a very gifted writer. I consistently forgot that this book is a tremendous amount of political back and forth. This book could have easily felt like someone was reading Grew's journals back to you. Instead, Kemper presents Grew's words and provides insight which makes this book read like a thriller. It cannot be understated how much Kemper's writing takes this book from good history to great read.(This book was provided to me as an advance copy by Netgalley and Mariner Books. The full review will be posted to HistoryNerdsUnited.com on 11/17/2022.)

Kemper has given us a very readable accounting of the years and months leading up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and what life in Tokyo was like during that period. Japanophiles and history lovers shouldn't miss this book. There are a lot of names to keep track of and a lot of diplomacy, but Kemper keeps it interesting by adding personal and cultural tidbits about our man in Tokyo. There are also plenty of parallels to be drawn since as they say, history repeats itself. That said, anyone with an interest in politics should read this as a cautionary tale for our time. It's an eye opener!Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's well worth reading.

Follows Ambassador Grew as the American ambassador to Japan in the years leading to WWII. He went to Japan with an open mind and in the hopes he could create a positive dialogue which would prevent war. He documented everything, conversations, letters, telegrams, a daily diary. He could never understand why the state department ignored his warnings or how the state department would take actions regarding Japan without letting him know in advance. There were severe occasions where was could have been prevented, but were ignored. Wonderful piece of history that has been covered up.

Interesting perspective and a lot of information about what it's like to be a diplomat and Japanese culture in the 30s. It was a little boring but that was less the book and more that diplomacy and being an ambassador is not that exciting sometimes, and negotiations really dragged on with the Japanese. It borrowed heavily from his journal which was really cool.

Well documented historic retelling of the phenomenal leadership and diplomacy of Ambassador Joseph C. Grew serving Japan just before the USA entrance into World War II and the attack at Pearl Harbor.

Ambassador Grew in Tokyo's andGreat reading for anyone interested in the Japanese society prior to the Pearl Harbor attack.Obviously, Japan was underestimated and we all know what happened on December 7, 1941.I highly recommend this book by Steve Kemper

BrilliantIt's a compelling narrative that I couldn't put down. If you're interested in this subject then I highly recommend it. You feel like you're there during the trails and tribulations that Grew endured.